From Harold French
The Selectmen may want to reconsider the waste of money putting in a raised structure at the Main St. South St. intersection. There are many loads of sheds and barns and hay coming thru that intersection every day, those all have a high center of gravity and it does.t take much to roll them over especially when you place a raised structure on the inside of their turn. Instead of trying to change things go back to what worked in the past with a police officer on duty in the Main Street Elm Street area, go back to no U turn and 2-hour parking. One roll over and what was thought to be gained will be lost.
Dear Harold,
Many residents of Stockbridge have echoed your opinion and miss the police presence at Red Lion corner.
The countervailing argument is that it is unsafe. However, there has always been a Stockbridge policeman on that corner during heavy traffic times and only one accident between a car and policeman occurred in since 1946 — almost 75 years – and none before 1946.
Dear Dr. Owens,
On behalf of our neighborhood on Emerson Lane and surrounding streets, we want to thank you for calling attention to the short-term rental property at 7 Hawthorne Rd., in the Eagle.
As you know, this property’s absentee owner has created a tremendous problem for the neighboring homes. This house is advertised in Airbnb and VRBO as a 15+ person rental. It has a 3-bedroom septic rating which allows for only 6 people to reside there. Last summer, due to the unbearable noise, we could not enjoy our own backyards. The police were called multiple times at night due to noise.
The constant noise, the smell of septic, and the sight of multiple garbage dumpsters is a blight on our community. In spite of the fact that the owner had been advised by the town regulators to correct the Airbnb ads, he continues to defy the request. As evidenced by this past weekend 6 cars were parked in the driveway! During the pandemic when numbers are spiking here and everywhere, this must be in violation.
We are at our wits end.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.
Stay Well!
Stephen Stern, Isabel Rose, Ben Liptzin, Loretta Scheel, Robert Bujalski, Ken Krentsa, Maureen O’Hanlon, Edi Pasalis, Candace Currie
Hi neighbors,
Thank you for writing. I am sorry if are prevented from enjoying their property, but this is a much larger issue. The housing stock in our village is approximately 1700 homes. Of that number, “Airbnb properties”, properties used for short-term rental wherein the owner is not a resident, is currently estimated at 100 homes and growing. Other Berkshire towns have worked hard to develop and pass regulations of these properties. It is probably time Stockbridge does the same.
